Month: August 2016

Well, we’re off this morning! We have downsized all of our things again and packed my Toyota Corolla completely to the brim. Crossing our fingers we haven’t forgotten anything. We will be spending a few days camping with my family on our annual camp out then off to finish this years adventures. And all in the car….wish us luck!!

Well, our little travelin’ home Vanna is still having some troubles. We took it into a shop while we were in Washington and after $250 worth of diagnostics, we found out it would cost us a pretty penny to get her fixed. Jeff figured we could fix the van ourselves for just a portion of the price. We did bring along some tools with us on our trip but not nearly enough to do the job. So, we decided to putter Vanna back to Idaho and fix it here.

Now, we don’t feel this portion of our adventures are quite over yet, so we are leaving the van to sit for now and taking my wee little car out on the road. Jeff and I aren’t converting the car into a living vehicle or anything, we’re just going to travel and tent camp along the way. Now, we may get stuck sleeping in the car here and there but we’re crossing our fingers this doesn’t happen. We will be leaving in just a few days to go on my families annual camping trip then heading off on the rest of our adventures for this year.

We have plans for Vanna and for our fifth wheel camper once we return from our travels this year, but until all of the little details are worked out Jeff and I are just taking it day by day.

We wanted to share a few fun places to visit in Washington. Seattle is obviously one of the most visited places in Washington and for good reason too, there is so much to do! I previously mentioned in another blog about the Space Needle. It’s an iconic image of Seattle and probably the first thing that comes to mind for most people when they think about Seattle. The Space Needle is right downtown and surrounded by numerous things to do and places to go. The EMP Museum, Chihuly Garden and Glass, The Science Center and The Childens Museum are some of the places just within walking distance from the Space Needle. And of course if you’re in Seattle, you have to visit one of the oldest continuously operated public markets, Pikes Place Market. Just be prepared for squeezing through all the people and resisting from buying everything. And before you leave the Seattle area, don’t forget to find the Freemont Troll. A giant art statue made under a downtown bridge in the 90’s and is sought out by tourist and locals alike.

Seattle isn’t the only hip place to visit in Washington though. While we were in Federal Way Jeff and I found a beautiful bonsai garden, Pacific Bonsai Museum. Some of the trees there have been tended to since at least 1950 if not longer. It’s amazing to see the dedication and hard work that goes into each tree, each one of them different and unique too. There’s also a handful of lakes, rivers and bays to take your family to, swim in and fish.

Washington is also home to a few national parks. Jeff and I visited two of them while we were there, the first being Olympic National Park. We spent the entire day driving all around the park’s perimeter, getting out to snap photos and to take a couple strolls. Olympic NP is located on the Olympic peninsula and has four different regions and within those regions are three different ecosystems. The park was absolutely incredible, so much green everywhere. Jeff and I took a nice little walk through the parks rain forest intrigued with the idea of a rain forest. As we walked along the path, we took photos of giant mushrooms growing on tree trunks, trees covered in moss and then a Barred Owl silently sitting on a tree limb. Everything almost seemed pictured perfect.

Mt. Rainier is the other national park we embarked upon for an afternoon. Mt. Rainier is an active volcano and the tallest mountain within the state of Washington. The mountain can be seen from Seattle and is visible about 90 days a year. The locals often refer to the mountain as ‘the floating mountain‘ as it appears to be floating in the clouds and above the sea. The drive up there was incredible and the views when we arrived were even better. Mt. Rainier was definitely one of the most magnificent mountains we have seen.